Three prominent United States universities have severed their links with disgraced TV star Bill Cosby, citing his ‘conduct and behaviour’ towards women as the reason.

Cosby has been accused by more than fifty women of sexual assault, with some making claims that he drugged them, in alleged incidents dating as far back as the 60s. Bill Cosby vehemently denies all accusations.

Brown University is the latest to disassociate itself from him, stripping him of his honorary degree which was awarded to him in 1985.

According to USA Today, the president of the university, Christine Paxson, wrote to students in an email: ‘It has become clear, by his own admission in legal depositions that became public this summer, that Mr. Cosby has engaged in conduct with women that is contrary to the values of Brown and the qualities for which he was honored by the University in 1985.

‘The conduct that Mr. Cosby has acknowledged is wholly inconsistent with the behavior we expect of any individual associated with Brown.’

Cosby denies all allegations Picture: AP)

Brown is the latest in a chain of educational establishments distancing themselves from Cosby. Fordham and Marquette Universities also rescinded the honorary degrees they had bestowed on the controversial personality.

Joseph M McShane, president of Fordham University, said in a statement: ‘By his own admission, Mr. Cosby’s sexual exploitation of women was premeditated and ongoing. Equally appalling is his longtime strategy of denigrating the reputations of women who accused him of such actions.’

Cosby’s lawyer, John P Schmidtt, responded to McShane, slamming his handling of the situation. He said it was ‘so irresponsible as to shock the conscience’ and that it ‘grossly mischaracterises both Mr. Cosby’s actions and his deposition testimony, in language more befitting a tabloid journal rather than a respected institution of higher learning.’

Cosby is most famous for The Cosby Show (Picture: Getty)

Metro.co.uk have contacted spokespersons for Bill Cosby for comment.

Cosby has made sizeable donations to establishments Central State University in Ohio and Spelman College in the past but both have also ended their relationship with him. Spelman ended a Cosby professorship in July while the CSU renamed their Camille O. & William H. Cosby Communications Center the CSU Communications Center.